asicrossedthelivingroomeileenwascomingdownthestairsinwhiteslacksandopen-toedsandalsandapaleblueshirt.shelookedatmewithcompletesurprise.“ididn’tknowyouwerehere,mr.marlowe,”shesaid,asthoughshehadn’tseenmeforaweekandatthattimeihadjustdroppedinfortea.

“iputhisguninthedesk,”isaid.

“gun?”thenitseemedtodawnonher.“oh,lastnightwasalittlehectic,wasn’tit?butithoughtyouhadgonehome.”

iwalkedoverclosertoher.shehadathingoldchainaroundherneckandsomekindoffancypendantingoldandblueonwhiteenamel.theblueenameledpartlookedlikeapairofwings,butnotspreadout.againstthesetherewasabroadwhiteenamelandgolddaggerthatpiercedascroll.icouldn’treadthewords.itwassomekindofmilitaryinsigne.

“igotdrunk,”isaid.“deliberatelyandnotelegantly.iwasalittlelonely.”

“youdidn’thavetobe,”shesaid,andhereyeswereasclearaswater.therewasn’tatraceofguileinthem.

“amatterofopinion,”isaid.“i’mleavingnowandi’mnotsurei’llbeback.youheardwhatisaidaboutthegun?”

“youputitinhisdesk.itmightbeagoodideatoputitsomewhereelse.buthedidn’treallymeantoshoothimself,didhe?”

“ican’tanswerthat.butnexttimehemight.”

sheshookherhead.“idon’tthinkso.ireallydon’t.youwereawonderfulhelplastnight,mr.marlowe.idon’tknowhowtothankyou.”

“youmadeaprettygoodtry.”

shegotpink.thenshelaughed.“ihadaverycuriousdreaminthenight,”shesaidslowly,lookingoffovermyshoulder.“someoneiusedtoknowwashereinthehouse.someonewhohasbeendeadfortenyears.”herfingerswentupandtouchedthegoldandenamelpendant.“that’swhyiamwearingthistoday.hegaveittome.”

“ihadacuriousdreammyself,”isaid.“buti’mnottellingmine.letmeknowhowrogergetsonandifthereisanythingicando.”

sheloweredhereyesandlookedintomine.“yousaidyouwerenotcomingback.”

“isaidiwasn’tsure.imayhavetocomeback.ihopeiwon’t.thereissomethingverywronginthishouse.andonlypartofitcameoutofabottle.”

shestaredatme,frowning.“whatdoesthatmean?”

“ithinkyouknowwhati’mtalkingabout.”

shethoughtitovercarefully.herfingerswerestilltouchingthependantgently.sheletoutaslowpatientsigh.“there’salwaysanotherwoman,”shesaidquietly.“atsometimeorother.it’snotnecessarilyfatal.we’retalkingatcrosspurposes,aren’twe?wearenoteventalkingaboutthesamething,perhaps?”

“couldbe,”isaid.shewasstillstandingonthesteps,thethirdstepfromthebottom.shestillhadherfingersonthependant.shestilllookedlikeagoldendream.“especiallyifyouhaveinmindthattheotherwomanislindaloring.”

shedroppedherhandfromthependantandcamedownonemorestepofthestairs.

“dr.loringseemstoagreewithme,”shesaidindifferently.“hemusthavesomesourceofinformation.”

“yousaidhehadplayedthatscenewithhalfthemalesinthevalley.”

“didi?well—itwastheconventionalsortofthingtosayatthetime.”shecamedownanotherstep.

“ihaven’tshaved,”isaid.

thatstartledher.thenshelaughed.“oh,iwasn’texpectingyoutomakelovetome.”

“justwhatdidyouexpectofme,mrs.wade—inthebeginning,whenyoufirstpersuadedmetogohunting?whyme—whathaveigottooffer?”

“youkeptfaith,”shesaidquietly.“whenitcouldn’thavebeenveryeasy.”

“i’mtouched.butidon’tthinkthatwasthereason.”

shecamedownthelaststepandthenshewaslookingupatme.“thenwhatwasthereason?”

“orifitwas—itwasadamnpoorreason.justabouttheworstreasonintheworld.”

shefrownedatinyfrown.“why?”

“becausewhatidid—thiskeepingfaith—issomethingevenafooldoesn’tdotwice.”

“youknow,”shesaidlightly,“thisisgettingtobeaveryenigmaticconversation.”

“you’reaveryenigmaticperson,mrs.wade.solongandgoodluckandifyoureallycareanythingaboutroger,you’dbetterfindhimtherightkindofdoctor—andquick.”

shelaughedagain.“oh,thatwasamildattacklastnight.yououghttoseehiminabadone.he’llbeupandworkingbythisafternoon.”

“likehellhewill.”

“butbelievemehewill.iknowhimsowell.”

igaveherthelastshotrightintheteethanditsoundedprettynasty.

“youdon’treallywanttosavehim,doyou?youjustwanttolookasifyouaretryingtosavehim.”

“that,”shesaiddeliberately,“wasaverybeastlythingtosaytome.”

shesteppedpastmeandwalkedthroughthediningroomdoorsandthenthebigroomwasemptyandicrossedtothefrontdoorandletmyselfout.itwasaperfectsummermorninginthatbrightsecludedvalley.itwastoofarfromthecitytogetanysmogandcutoffbythelowmountainsfromthedampnessoftheocean.itwasgoingtobehotlater,butinanicerefinedexclusivesortofway,nothingbrutalliketheheatofthedesert,notstickyandrankliketheheatofthecity.idlevalleywasaperfectplacetolive.perfect.nicepeoplewithnicehomes,nicecars,nicehorses,nicedogs,possiblyevennicechildren.

butallamannamedmarlowewantedfromitwasout.andfast.